KARACHI, May 3: A master sitar player paints a picture, creates a scene that signifies a particular event in life. That event may or may not have the range of emotions that usually define such experiential episodes.

On late Wednesday evening Ikhlaque Hussain proved why he is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the realm of music. His performance at a concert organised by the All Pakistan Music Conference at the Indus Valley School of Art and Architecture was marked by passionate sitar playing which made the audience realise how the language of music can mirror their feelings.

Hussain, accompanied on stage by talented Umaid Hussain (tabla), kicked off the concert with raga megh. In fact the recital was the major part of the gig. As can be gauged by the name, megh is a late night raga usually performed in a season when there are overcast weather conditions. However, there was nothing overcast about Ikhlaque Hussain. He took some time to warm up and appeared to be putting in great effort in trying to get his alaap to set the tone for the rest of the composition.

Once the slow exposition of the raga gained momentum, Hussain came into his groove and looked more at ease, playing the high-pitched notes with the requisite softness. The magic began when the tabla joined in. The gentle rhythm of the percussion gelled extremely well with the mellow sound of sitar, making each note sound clear, having the right effect on the audience. In the later part of the performance, towards the end, the experimentation with a few taals peppered with a dash of masti heightened the overall impact. The denouement of raga megh was delightful as it culminated in a way befitting the improvisational aspect of the performance.

After a pause of 15 minutes, Hussain presented raga des. The khamaj thaat raga, as can be guessed, is also a nighttime piece. This time round the sitar player and his tabla nawaz did not rely on improvisation as much as they did in the earlier bit, and remained true to the innate mellifluousness of the notes. The beat too was not experimented with, which meant the pathos of the raga could be easily felt. Here one has to commend Umaid Hussain. His tabla playing was fluid and sans any show-offish gimmickry.

All in all, it was a fine musical evening.